Unruly Maid
by Gwendolena
Summary: "EVE!" "Yeah?" "Where are my clothes?" "I sent them to dry-cleaning." "Are you aware of the fact that you sent all of my clothes?" "...I am now." "Oh, really?" The well-to-do Earl hires a new maid, Eve. She's different from all his past maids, having a knack for flipping his world upside-down and never apologizing for it.
1. Part 1

_CRASH._

Garry's head lifted, his gaze fixating on the origin of the sound... which happened to be right behind the door to his study. With a huff, he placed his pen in its holder and rose from his seat, running a hand through his thick, lavender hair. His long legs made short work of the distance between his desk and the double doors and with an dignified brandish, he twisted the brass doorknob and steeled himself for some sort of disaster.

A brown liquid pooled across the wooden floorboards, shards of expensive china littering the hallway and clinking faintly as they came to a stop. Annoyance bubbled up inside of him and he quickly glanced down the corridor, searching for the culprit.

"Who did this?!" He barked.

The twin maids, Scarlet and Skylar, came rushing down the hallway with mirrored expressions of concern and confusion. They pulled up, nearly stepping in the spilled tea.

"What is the matter, master?" Skylar spoke up with wide eyes, leaning forward.

"Who made this mess?!"

In sync, the sisters glanced down, taking in the turmoil on the ground. Scarlet simply blinked, but Skylar went into full-out panic mode.

"Oh, no! We're so sorry, master! We didn't do it, but we promise we'll clean it up! Please don't be angry with us, master!" Tears filled her brown eyes.

Garry sighed, counting to ten and reminding himself that Skylar was a delicate girl, always afraid he was going to beat her whenever he got mad. While he would never lay a hand on anyone in such a manner, he didn't appreciate this interruption from his work, so it was probably best to calm Skylar down and let the maids clean up here. He smiled soothingly.

"It's alright, Skylar. I'm not upset. Just please get this mopped up."

"O-okay, master." The girl blushed hard, her eyes meeting the ground timidly.

"But I do wish to know who committed this act-"

_Hahaha!_

Soft laughter drifted down the hallway from his left, and Garry turned his head, catching sight of a frilly white apron on a black skirt. Hmm, speaking of which, where was his new maid?

Gingerly stepping over the broken teapot and its squandered contents, Garry made his way over to his third maid and came to a stop before her. Clad in the same uniform that the other maids donned - a short-sleeved, scoop necked black dress that ended a little higher than mid-thigh, white lace pinafore, matching white lace headpiece, licorice-colored choker with a black ribbon interweaved through it, onyx over-the-knee socks, and ebony heeled boots - she was seated on the ground and leaning against the wall, a leather-bound book in hand and nose in aforementioned book.

She didn't even look up, too absorbed in the story to give him her attention. If he had been anyone else, his jaw would've dropped at the audacity.

But he was not anyone else. Instead, he asserted himself again.

"Excuse me."

Her large crimson eyes locked onto his own gray ones. For a moment, he was caught off guard as he'd never come across something so bold, but swiftly recovered.

"Yes?" She asked, the slightest hint of irritation in her tone.

He lifted a brow, entirely unused to her attitude. His maids would never speak to him in such a way... "Would you happen to be the one that dropped the tea on the ground just a moment ago?"

She looked off to the side, lifting a finger to her rather full lips thoughtfully. "I might've been."

"You might have been?" He hadn't thought it possible to be even more astonished, but the woman in front of him proved him wrong. She hadn't apologized or looked remorseful in the least.

"Yeah." The brunette nodded, meeting his eyes again.

"...Your name is Eve, correct?"

"Um, yeah."

"Yes."

"...Yes?" She looked somewhat confused, brow furrowing in a way that was more or less... fetching.

He shook his head to dispel the thought, telling himself to focus on the matter at hand.

"What caused you to drop it?"

"I was reading this book," She held the book up for him to see, finger planted on the page and pointing to a specific line, "and it got to a funny moment. I tried to hold in my laughter, but in the process, the teapot slipped from my hand and hit the floor."

She was carrying the teapot by itself? No tray, no cups, no sugar or milk? _What?_

"Why did you not hasten to rid the floor of its newfound circumstance? Someone could have been hurt." He put forth sternly.

"Oh, I headed off to find a mop, but I got distracted with the story and forgot to."

"I see." Garry nodded, when in reality, he didn't see. What was this girl's problem?

Argh, he needed to head back to work. He'd been distracted long enough.

"Well, please be more careful and try not to repeat this blunder. I will be returning to my study."

"Okay, Garry."

His eyes widened an impossible amount. This woman...

Before he could be bothered any further, Garry turned heel and hiked it back to his study, almost running over Skylar... who had been standing a few feet off and watching him converse with Eve?

Back behind his desk and in the safety of his study, Garry inhaled deeply. He needed to focus, get this work done and establish the deal with that company...

Red eyes flashed in his head.

Heat flooded his face. Focus, focus, focus...

* * *

**A/N: Where the hell did I get the idea to write this story? Well, let's just say that I finished the _Maid-sama! _series, and maids are an interesting topic...**

**Anyway, I'd originally planned to just make this a one-shot but later figured it would be more strategic for me to release it short piece by piece, one a day. I'm almost done with it, just have to write the last chapter, which is where the rating will go up...**

**Use your imagination, hmm?**


	2. Part 2

It was a lovely morning to take a stroll. Provided no one mentioned that it was actually twelve PM and not morning, that is. Nevertheless, there was a warm breeze, the sun was shining, and birds were chirping. Life was grand.

Or at least, it was grand until it started raining leaves.

"What in the fu-"

His head tilted upwards. Someone was snipping at the leaves on the hedges, causing them to land on his head. It wouldn't be an issue if it were occurring at any other time of day; all of his maids knew that when the weather was good, he would take a walk around noontime. So what idiot was interrupting his morning stroll?

"Hello?" He called out.

Whoever was trimming the hedges paid no heed, not even bothering to muster up a response. They continued snipping away silently, further showering the Earl with green foliage. Looking up, he found no one. Instead, the leaves continued falling, obscuring his vision.

"Hello? Who is this?" He repeated, attempting to brush the leaves off of himself - only to be buried in a new wave of leaves.

Faintly, he could hear the guitar riff of a rock song. And even fainter than that, drifting near his ears was the low sound of a female voice singing to the tune of the song.

"So what is wrong with... anoooother sin?"

Realizing that trying to remove the leaves would do him no good, he ceased in his motions. "Will you not answer me?!" He was growing impatient, a scowl forming. What impetuous fool would ignore him like this?

"The bitch is hungry, she needs to tell..."

"I demand that you answer me, right now!"

"So give her inches, and feed her well... More days to come, new places to go, I've got to leave, it's time for a shoooooow..."

"I will call the authorities if you do not explain yourself!" He growled. He didn't want to have to resort to that, but if it was necessary...

"Here I am... Rock you like a hurricane... Here I am... Rock you like a hurricaaaaaaane!"

"ANSWER ME THIS INSTANT!" Bellowed Garry, fists clenching and brows furrowing. He'd had enough of this!

The clipping stopped.

"Hello?" The Earl tentatively put out, dropping the glower. Oh, he hoped he hadn't scared them. He hadn't meant to yell, it had just happened...

"What is your problem, dude?" An irked voice rose above the hedges.

What.

"My problem is that you are not responding to me!" He countered through gritted teeth, wholly annoyed with this person. They didn't have the right to be irked with him when he was the one being so rudely put off!

"Oh."

Deciding to take action, Garry trudged through the mountain of leaves and around the hedge. Oh, he should have expected this.

Perched on the top step of a stepladder with shears in hand was his third servant, Eve. Earbuds hung off of her slender neck, the plug end delved into an iPod in her pocket. So she'd not heard him over the music, too busy singing to herself, those red, red lips uttering the lyrics…

Still, the tea incident had happened only two days ago... This girl had managed to piss him off, and it was only their second encounter!

"And don't you know that you're not supposed to prune the hedges at this time of day?"

"I do know, but I don't see why not. The weather is perfect to be outside: not too hot and not too cold. Yard work is best done at this time of day."

"Yes, but if the weather is nice, you know that I will be walking through the gardens. So you knew that this sort of confrontation was bound to happen. What with you trying to engulf me under a pile of leaves."

"...I might've known."

Garry was at a loss for words. She knew, but she went and did it anyway. This woman was... was impossible! His mouth flapped open and closed like a fish's, until finally, exasperated, he about-faced and started walking back to the mansion.

* * *

**A/N: What in the world is Eve singing? Well, my dears, it's "Rock You Like A Hurricane" by Scorpions. **

**Love that song.**


	3. Part 3

_Thunk._

_Thunk._

_Thunk._

"What is that banging sound, Skylar? Is that Scarlet?" Garry inquired of his maid as he passed by her in the hall.

"No, it shouldn't be." She murmured, pausing from her sweeping. "Scarlet's sick in bed."

"Hm. I suppose I'll have to go investigate."

"Yes, Master."

_Thunk._

Garry swung open the doors to the library as that seemed to be where the sound was originating. He hoped no one had broken in...

A hardcover book came flying down in front of his face, almost nicking his nose.

First, raining leaves, now raining books? He wouldn't be surprised if Eve was behind this...

"Eve?" He forced out, still slightly in shock from the near-assassination by book.

"Yeah?" Her voice floated down from the second floor. So he'd been right.

"What are you doing?" He stepped over the pile of books on the ground, moving so as to be able to look up at Eve. It was a mistake because he looked up into her skirt, getting an eyeful of rose red panties…

Her voice rang out again. "Organizing these books. These ones should be on the first floor."

Looking anywhere but up, he shoved his earlier thoughts out of his head with more mental force than necessary, focusing on the current issue.

"...Why are you dropping them so carelessly?"

"It's easier."

"Easier?!" Garry squawked.

"I don't have to make multiple trips up and down the stairs if I just drop them from here." Eve explained calmly, as if Garry was making a big fuss over nothing.

"But they could break!"

"They won't break. They're rather sturdy. Besides, this is the most they'll ever be touched - you don't read them."

"The impudence - Of course I read them! Why else would I buy them?" He protested with a squeak, absently scratching his neck with his index finger.

"I can tell that you don't read them just by the dust collecting on the spines." Eve shot back with ease. "And besides... this is an action novel. I reckon you're not the kind of guy who likes to read about muscled men and damsels-in-distress. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to finish my work here so I can help in the kitchen."

"Oh no, you don't! I'm not finished talking to you-"

_Thunk._

"You may think that these books are sturdy, but some of them are antiques, and you could break their spines if they land wrong, and I paid very good money for these books-"

_Thunk._

"And anyway, how can you say that I'm not the kind of guy who likes to read action novels?! How can you say that after only meeting me twi-"

_WHUMP._

Garry fell to the floor, black overwhelming his vision.

* * *

"Master? Are you feeling okay?"

Garry groaned, forcing his eyes open and sitting up. His head hurt like hell.

"Not really... What happened?"

"I think you hit your head and got knocked out. I came in just a moment ago and found you unconscious on the ground with this book on top of you."

The twin held up _Les Misérables,_ compelling Garry's jaw to drop.

"I got bashed over the head with _that?" _

Skylar nodded.

For a second, it was unclear to him how this could've happened. And then he remembered.

"Eve."

Skylar looked puzzled for a moment, as if wondering why he was calling Eve's name.

"She must've dropped the book on my head."

"...She was in here, milord?"

"Yes." He tried to get to his feet, but stumbled and fell back onto his ass with an _oof._ With as much dignity as he could muster, Garry glanced at Skylar and requested, "Could you help me to my room?"

As always, she nodded obediently, standing first and then offering him a hand. He needed to rest.

* * *

**A/N: For those of you leaving reviews along the lines of "update soon" or "continue," fear not. As stated before, I've almost completed the story, so I don't have to deal with the issues that I usually have with updating ****_Come Back, Eve_**** (which are basically me being too lazy/uninspired to write or I complete a chapter and immediately upload it - which is a really bad move, for those of you just getting into the writing world like I am). Also, I'll be updating this story with a chapter a day, since they're so dreadfully short.**

**'Kay, I think that was all I wanted to say. **

**You have a good day, now.**

**Bye.**


	4. Part 4

"I'd like more wine, please." Garry asked of no one in particular, setting his empty wine glass back onto the white silk tablecloth.

Heels clacked against the wooden floor, the sound echoing around the dining room. A maid drew near, her delicate fingers taking hold of the wine bottle and pulling it from its ice bucket. Garry's head tilted upwards to thank her, but he froze when he realized it was his maid, Eve. After his last concurrence with the woman, he'd began to wonder if she was actually an assassin hired to end his life. It made sense: she was alluring and seductive enough to slip into his household, get close to him. Especially with those long, long legs, and that curvaceous ass that he'd glimpsed before… And she _had_ spilled tea outside his study - maybe to make him slip and fall when he exited the room - and she _had_ tried to bury him under a barrage of leaves, and she definitely _had_ knocked him senseless with a heavy book, so in his situation, who _wouldn't_ suspect such a thing? She might even try to poison his wine!

"Uh..." He put out, causing Eve to hold back the bottle, "Is Scarlet or Skylar here?"

She shook her head. "Scarlet and Skylar are in the kitchen preparing dessert."

"Ah... Okay."

With that, Eve tilted the bottle and began pouring his drink.

"Oh! Um, you don't have to pour me more wine, it's fine."

Eve lifted a brow at Garry's hurried statement, but acquiesced, moving to withdraw the bottle-

Purple splashed, hitting white and becoming a shade between pink and red. Eve had spilled the wine, making it stain on the tablecloth. Garry yelped, leading to Eve starting and splattering the wine into Garry's lap and on his white shirt. When she finally got control of her limbs and the almost-empty bottle, all that she remarked was a simple, "Whoops."

Garry groaned.


	5. Part 5

"FIRE! FIRE!" Scarlet screeched, frantically rushing past Garry and into the kitchen to retrieve the fire extinguisher.

"Fire?" He stopped in his tracks, watching billowing smoke waft out of his study.

"The cigar box is on fire!" Garry could hear Scarlet shrieking at her sister. At that, he lost it, scrambling after Scarlet and frenziedly taking the fire extinguisher from her hands. His cigars were precious to him!

He pounded into the study without fear, assessed the blazing fire, then pulled the pin from the equipment, aimed straight at the cigar box, pushed down on the lever, and moved the nozzle in a sweeping motion until the flames were doused. Relieved the inferno was out, Garry stepped forward with a "phew."

The wooden lid of his cigar box was completely soaked with the foam from the extinguisher, but that wasn't what mattered at the moment. Like a man possessed, Garry flipped open the lid-

"No..." He breathed out.

His cigars were gone, ashes staring him in the face. The smokes had burned out in the fire, leaving him with _nothing._

Garry slumped to the floor, staring blankly ahead. No cigars...

"Smoking's bad for you, you know."

His head swivelled upwards, glazed eyes finding Eve standing above him with her arms crossed. His grief-filled brain decided to ignore the comment, instead weakly articulating the bereavement his world had just experienced. "My cigars are all gone..."

Eve scoffed. "Even if they hadn't all burned in the fire, the foam from the extinguisher would have rendered them useless."

And without another word, Eve treaded out of the room.


	6. Part 6

It was his fourth day without nicotine. The need was starting to pull at him, visions of coquettish smoke nymphs materializing before him, giggling enticingly and beckoning him closer, only to fade out of grasp at the last second. How he craved to feel the solidity of a cigar between his lips, to taste the nicotine, to feel _alive_ after finishing off the smoke. But instead, he was trapped in this tobacco-less reality, this dull, dreary hell.

What had his life come to?

"Sir, you've been lying on that sofa for at least three days, now. Don't you think it's time to get up and do something?" Scarlet said cautiously as she dusted the coffee table. He knew it was Scarlet simply by the red ribbon she weaved through her collar; Skylar wore a blue one in the same fashion.

"No." He voiced without any elaboration.

"Is this because of the cigars?"

"Yes."

"Ah." She reflected for a moment. "Why don't you just go out and buy new ones?"

Garry shook his head, his eyes never leaving the ceiling. "Those cigars were shipped in from overseas. I already ordered new ones, but they won't be here for a long time yet." He cringed. "I don't dare try anything local."

Scarlet hummed in understanding. "You know, my mother used to smoke. When she was quitting, one way she used to resist the temptation was by practicing relaxation techniques. She'd do yoga or deep-breathing exercises. Or take a long bath."

She turned to him.

"You could try something like that to pass the time, sir."

Somewhere in the woeful brain of his, what Scarlet was trying to say clicked. It made sense to him: he needed to do something about this situation, take charge of his life in the meantime so that he didn't fall into some sort of depression. And maybe this predicament had offered him an opportunity that he'd long desired... to quit smoking.

He sat up.

"You're right, Scarlet."

"Yes, I am."

"I need to seize this opportunity and do my best to quit."

"Of course."

"I've always worried about getting lung cancer, but now that all of my cigars are gone and I have no choice, I can quit cold turkey and better myself!"

"Mhmm."

A light was shining through his clouds of smoke. "Draw me a bath, Scarlet! I won't stay on this sofa any longer!"

"Yes, milord."

* * *

Ahhhh, this bath felt so good. And now that he wasn't as stressed, he didn't feel the intense longing for nicotine. It had been the longest time since he'd felt so free.

Garry sunk deeper into the warm bubbles. While he was thoroughly enjoying this soak in his porcelain tub, he knew that he had plenty of work to do. It had piled up over the course of his sofa-lying and was waiting in his study ominously. And he'd been bathing for at least an hour, now. It was likely time to get out and get that paperwork done.

"Well, my dearest bubble companions, it is time that I depart from thee." He said in an undertone. "No no, do not mourn my loss. I will return soon, but at this time, I am sworn to defeat the great savage known as Sir Paperwork. Fare thee well."

Smiling to himself, he stood and stepped out of the tub, reaching for a towel-

* * *

"Eve, did you deliver the towels to the Master's bathroom?"

"...No."

"Oh, dear. Well, just get it done now, will you?"

"Okay, Skylar."

* * *

His fingers closed around air.

"Huh?" His smile fell, the realization hitting him like a ton of bricks.

No towels.

No, no, no, that couldn't be. The maids delivered towels every morning, so there should be one in here.

Checking the drawers and the cupboards revealed nothing. There were absolutely no towels... And now he was trapped in the bathroom. To rub salt into the wound, the bubbles had disintegrated into water, leaving him shivering with frigid droplets uncomfortably dripping from his hair onto his back.

He shut the last cupboard with a huff. How was he going to get out of thi-

The door swung open.

Heels clicked on the bathroom tile.

Gray eyes met crimson ones.

Crimson ones drifted downwards.

Lips quirked upwards.

* * *

**A/N: This was my favorite part to write. You're smart enough to know why, I'm sure.**


	7. Part 7

"Eve, did you do the laundry?"

"Yes, I did."

"Alright, can you distribute it to the bedrooms for us? Scarlet and I are going shopping because it's our day off."

"Sure."

"Thanks, honey. You're a doll."

* * *

Garry came shuffling into the lounge, back straighter than it had ever been in his life.

"Eve?"

"Yes, Garry?"

"Who did the laundry?"

"I did."

He nodded. "Did you take the laundry to a laundromat and use their washing and drying machines?"

"...I might've."

"Ah. Okay."

"Why?"

"I think some of it might have shrunk."

Eve looked him up and down. "Your shirt and pants look fine to me."

"...It's not my shirt or pants."


	8. Part 8

"Eve, now that it's winter, you are given the duty of lighting the Master's fireplace at night."

"Okay."

* * *

Garry tossed and turned in bed, teeth chattering and eyes scrunched shut. He wanted so desperately to fall asleep, but it was impossible when your body was practically an ice cube!

Where was Eve? Wasn't she supposed to light his fire?

* * *

"Where were you last night?!"

"Reading in the library."

"Did you forget to light the fireplace in my bedroom?"

"...Yes."

"I nearly froze to death in there!"

"You would not have frozen nor would you have died. The temperature never went below freezing last night."

"I couldn't sleep!"

"...Whoops."


	9. Part 9

"WHERE ARE MY PAPERS?!" Garry shouted, at his wits' end. Eve had organized his study, and now he couldn't find anything! And he needed to be at a meeting in two hours!

"WHERE IS EVE?! I NEED HER!" He started pulling at his hair.

"I'm so sorry, Master, but it's her day off! She isn't here... and she doesn't have a phone to call." Skylar informed.

"I NEED MY PAPERS OR I'M GOING TO BE FIRED OFF THE COUNCIL! HELP ME FIND THEM!"

"Yes, milord! Scarlet, help us in here!"

* * *

Garry lay on the floor, curled up in the fetal position. Small whines and whimpers escaped his mouth, wet tear streaks drying on his cheeks. In just half an hour, he was going to be fired...

"I've never seen him like this before." Scarlet whispered to her sister.

"Neither have I." Skylar's eyes were welded on her master. She was still stunned from when Garry had collapsed onto the floor and began weeping - which was about twenty minutes ago.

"...Should we take a picture?"

"No! That's terrible, Scarlet!" Skylar reprimanded.

The double doors swung open.

"Hey, guys, I'm bac-" Eve started to say, but cut herself off when she caught sight of the Earl huddled on the ground and mewling.

At the sound of her voice, Garry sat up abruptly. He stared at her with the desperation of a man next in line for the guillotine and beseeched of her in the quietest voice, "Where are my papers for the company meeting today?"

Eve blinked.

Then she turned around, picked up the briefcase he'd set on the floor two hours ago, and pulled a file out of it.

Garry goggled at her for a moment.

And then jumped to his feet, sprinted past Eve and the other maids - while grabbing his briefcase, coat, and file - and out the door.


	10. Part 10

_"Squawk!_ Polly want a cracker!"

"Tsk." The red-eyed maid shook her head. "That's the most unoriginal thing a parrot can say. Whoever taught you was a blockhead. And it's 'Polly _wants_ a cracker.'"

"Polly wants a cracker?" The red, blue, yellow, and white bird mimicked.

"Yes."

Eve glanced around the room, becoming aware that she was alone in the lounge. It was just her and the bird.

"You don't deserve to live life in such a small cage. I'll set you free."

As quietly as possible, she shoved a window open and picked up the birdcage. Composedly, she picked up the heavy, bronze birdcage, lifted the hook, and swung open the gate. The parrot, intelligently picking up Eve's intentions, prepared its wings for lift-off and...

The bird flapped away. It was lucky that no one had clipped its wings or else it would never have escaped. Now she just had to leave the scene of the crime...

* * *

"THE BIRD IS GONE."

"Milord?"

"I paid hundreds of dollars for that parrot... and now it's gone."

Garry turned to Skylar, a crazed look in his eye.

"What happened to it?"

"Uh... I'm-I'm not sure, sir..."


	11. Part 11

"Achoo!" Garry sneezed, reaching for another tissue.

"Master, are you sick?" Scarlet asked, keeping a safe distance away from him, just in case.

"No, I just wocked in on Eeb sweebing the 'loor in my roob, and all the dust 'lew up by nose." He fell still, face flushing as he remembered how he'd laid eyes on her voluptuous bosom when she bent over to scoop the dust into the pan...

"Ah. Okay, sir."

* * *

**A/N: As compensation for the super-short piece today, I'd just like to share a lovely little photoset I came across on Tumblr. Since this website seems to dislike anything that says dot com, I'll link it on my profile.  
**


	12. Part 12

"Master?" Scarlet uttered in a bewildered tone. "What are you doing here?"

"In the kitchen?" Skylar added.

"I'm starving."

"But... didn't you have breakfast?" Said the twins in unison.

"No."

"We sent Eve up to service you..."

"That's probably why, then."

* * *

"Eve? Where are you?"

"In here."

Scarlet stepped into the library, navigating her way through small piles of books to come to a stop behind the third maid.

"What are you doing?"

"...Reading? Can't you see?"

"I mean, why didn't you bring the Master's food up to him?"

"Oh, I forgot."

"...And you ate it, I see." She looked at the empty tray pointedly.

"I got hungry."

"...That's it?"

"Speak complete thoughts, Scarlet."

"Aren't you gonna go apologize for leaving him famished this morning?"

"No."

Scarlet had no response to that.


	13. Part 13

"EVE!"

"Yeah?"

"Where are my clothes?"

"I sent them to dry-cleaning."

"Are you aware of the fact that you sent _all of my clothes?"_

"...I am now."

"Oh, really?"

Garry stepped out of his bedroom and stared at Eve. His chest was completely bare, and the only coverage he had were the boxers he'd slept in. There was no way he could feel any more humiliated.

Skylar and Scarlet turned the corner, finding the nearly-naked Garry standing in the middle of the hallway.

"Oh, my..." Skylar murmured, eyes widening and red slowly filling her cheeks.

"...Do you want my spray-tan, sir?" Scarlet grinned.

No, he was wrong. There was a way for him to feel even more humiliated.

* * *

**A/N: Hello, lovelies! For those of you following the story and receiving alerts when I update it, I deeply apologize if you had trouble accessing it. I accidentally named a document "P13" and published it not too long ago, when in fact, it should have been titled "P15" and published a couple of days later. Thereupon, I deleted the chapter, so the link in the first alert you received probably failed to work. Again, I beg your forgiveness and hope you enjoyed today's piece.**

**Have a nice day, yeah?**


	14. Part 14

_WHIRRRRRR!_

"NO, MY LOVE, I WOULD NEVER CHEAT ON YOU! SHE'S _PREGNANT?!_ NO, PLEASE, PUT THE CHAINSAW DOWN!" Garry vociferated.

_WHIRRR!_

"AHHHH!" The Earl sat up in bed, sweat dripping off of his body. He was thankful that it had only been a dream, but that peace of mind lasted about a second until the awful whirring sound started up again outside of his room.

Flinging the blankets off of his body, he stomped over to the door and flung it open.

"Who is making this racket?!"

One of the maids was down the hall to his right, clutching some sort of machinery in her hand. She pushed it back and forth, the whirring sound never ceasing.

"I order you to halt this action!"

She didn't.

Determined to get back to bed within the hour, he stalked over to her, laid a hand on her shoulder, and whipped her about so she would face him.

Still grasping her shoulder, Garry leaned forward and growled, "Whatever it is you are doing, you need to stop it right this instant."

The surprise in those crimson eyes disappeared, replaced by vexation. She placed a hand on her hip, defying him.

"No."

At any other time, Garry would've been infuriated at her outright refusal. But it was six o'clock in the morning, and his sleep-addled brain really wanted a few extra hours.

"Please." He solicited.

"Get a mug of coffee downstairs and be up early for a change. I need to vacuum."

So it was vacuuming she was doing. No matter.

He tried pouting. Surely she was one of the girls who couldn't resist the beaten puppy look?

Eve pointed at the stairs. "Go."


	15. Part 15

Skylar was humming a small ditty to herself and dusting the crystal chandelier hanging in the hall when the Master burst through the doors, muttering to himself about something or other. Out of concern and curiosity, she stopped in her motions and turned to him, daring to inquire as to what was bothering him.

"Master, what ails you?"

He must not have noticed her presence when he entered as he jolted, head whipping up to meet the person speaking. Realizing it was no more than one of his faithful maids, the lavender-headed man visibly relaxed, sighing deeply.

"Nothing, Skylar."

A delicate brow lifted. "Master, I know it is not my place to stick my nose in your business, but you are clearly disturbed. Will you please share your distress with me?"

His eyes darted away. And then after a minute's contemplation, he opened his mouth to speak.

"I happened to come across Eve in the kitchen and struck up a conversation. At some point, she mentioned she knew a magic trick. And I, naive fool that I am, believed her and begged for her to show it to me. She played coy, claiming I was not truly interested and it wasn't a particularly impressive feat, and after about ten minutes of trying to convince her I was indeed interested, she finally consented. In a ceramic mug, she poured a full cup of coffee, and with no magic words or anything, she laid a gloved palm on the table and placed the hot mug onto the back of her hand. She'd been working in the gardens, you see, so she still had her thick mitts on. Utterly disappointed, I quibbled, telling her that wasn't magic, and she looked so angry with me that I thought she'd set me on fire with just her gaze. So as kindly as I could, I took the mug and balanced it on my own hand, biting back a wince at the scalding heat seeping through the cup. I even offered for her to place another mug on my other hand to prove the point that this was not any sort of magic, and she complied…

And then she left. She abandoned me in the kitchen, both hands pinned to the table underneath two steaming coffee mugs." He held up the injured extremities as he wrapped up the tale.

Skylar listened intently to the long speech, internally facepalming as the Lord Garry ended the story. As much as she, ahem, _adored_ the Master, she had to admit his idiocy. Falling for such a stupid prank…

"Wanting to preserve my pride and not calling for help, I tried lifting the cups into the air, but they ended up spilling everywhere, burning my poor hands. I ran them under cold water, but I still can't feel them."

The twin shook her head. Her Master was so gullible.

"Master, let me bandage your hands for you. It wouldn't do to walk around with those all tender and vulnerable."

"Would you please? It would help greatly."

"Of course." She began dismounting the stepladder, lowering the duster to the ground and leading her Master towards a washroom and a medical kit.

"God, that woman. I can't stand her! She's just so… just so…" He grumbled crossly as he trailed behind, apparently so riled that he was at a loss for words.

"Sir… as much as I… um…" She paused, hoping this wouldn't come out the wrong way and the Master wouldn't think she was Eve's accomplice, "as much as I like Eve, if you dislike her so much, why don't you just fire her?"

The Earl blinked owlishly, all signs of fury falling from his expression and legs coming to a halt behind the twin maid. Perhaps the thought had not even occurred to him?

"Fire Eve?" He echoed, lost in thought. Realizing the man was no longer following her, Skylar turned back to face him.

"Yes, that is what I said."

"Fire her…" His attention was drawn to the ground, feet fidgeting awkwardly as if he were… embarrassed. "I couldn't do that…"

Skylar was taken aback at this new Master. He seemed so unsure, so feeble, so… young. Like a teenage boy in-

No, that couldn't be it.

Could it?

She could feel her heart wilting. If it was…

Her chest tightened painfully, breath stolen away. She'd been so loyal and caring all these years, but…

The twin glanced up with resolve at the man she'd served for so long. Yes, she had hoped that over time, her feelings would be reciprocated, but it seemed it was not to be. Love had other plans. But it didn't matter. His heart was stolen, and there was no way she could whisk it away from the lucky woman who possessed it. She had no chance.

And now, there was nothing more she could do, apart from moving on.

She inhaled deeply, forcing a soft smile. Despite the fatal slug her heart suffered, he was her Master, and she was his happy, docile maid, always willing to listen and carry out orders. Nothing more.

"I understand, sir."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you ****_so_**** so much** **to Yuu3 and Shan for pointing out something that I hadn't even thought of. It is for you two that I have whipped up this slightly longer piece, and in the end, it actually helped the characters' development (along with the plot's), so again, thankya!**

**Kawaii smileyface.**

**(Also, due to my own insecurities about the next part's genre added onto the fact that I've returned to school, don't expect a new piece tomorrow. **

**I'm sorry. ****Maybe in a few days, okay? Or maybe a week... Who knows. I'll try to get it to you guys as soon as I can, I promise.**

**Bye for now.)**


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